Kolmanskop & Luderitz, Namibia: The pamphlet clutched in my hand reads, “Diamonds were discovered in this area of Namibia in 1908 while keeping railway lines clear. A diamond rush ensued and so rich were the deposits that diamonds could be picked up freely by...

The End of Waste Green Orillia recently held its Spring 2022 Community Garbage cleanup where folks are invited to help clean up, get outdoors, and build community. But how great would it be to imagine a zero-waste future and a circular organic economy where waste no...

For most of us, the past two years of living through a pandemic and its effects have been challenging and exhausting, and yet, there have been a few areas where the changes have been positive, and some light has shone through the breaks in the clouds of the pandemic. ...

The Toddler Tourist: Exploring Hidden Gems in our Own Backyard Summer is a great time to get outdoors and walk around. There are many different trails and paths to trek upon in our North Simcoe region. I will probably highlight them in future issues, but one thing...

Welcome to the second column featuring the animals of Speaking of Wildlife, various native species that can’t possibly be released into nature. Today we’ll be examining one of the centre’s most unique and certainly most distinguished inhabitants: the Virginia opossum,...

I can’t stop talking about Bruno. Both in reference to the film Encanto along with the elephant-in-the-room that is COVID-19. I had managed to evade a positive test result for two years now, but alas, there’s only so much you can do before it catches you. This isn’t...

Foraging Through the Seasons There’s something super satisfying about growing and harvesting your own food. While I don’t have a green thumb myself, I can appreciate when the Earth offers us delicious delights that we come across in our adventures. As we enter another...

Mailman: “Beautiful day.”Elwood P. Dowd: “Oh, every day’s a beautiful day.”—Harvey, 1950 In the movie “Harvey”, James Stewart plays Elwood P. Dowd, who believes that he has a six-foot-tall rabbit friend named Harvey, though no one else can see him. Everyone including...

It Takes A Village (continued)   Chemo Cancer and Coping Three weeks ago I ended my chemo treatments, and although totally drained I felt a sense of relief to have this part of the plan behind me. The staff at Soldiers Memorial Hospital are still close to my heart....

Part 2 Part 1 left off with the intrepid group of travellers heading north from South Africa towards Namibia. Cape Town to McDougall’s Bay, SA The overland truckers riding the Beast and motor bikes split up outside Cape Town. Unbeknownst to the truckers, and before...